Happy New Batch: Everything 2022 Brings Us

The start of each new year finds us all optimistic about what’s to come and about the changes we hope to make in our lives for the better. Every year, the hope for a better year often began with promises of healthier eating habits—promises that rarely lasted. However, the pandemic changed this, and a focus on healthy living and nutrition now seems here to stay.

Even though bread remained a consumer favorite throughout the pandemic, global food market forecasts show that it is not immune to major trends shaping the industry.

• With Protein: Protein content continues to expand within the bakery category. Protein attracts consumers who are conscious of their overall health, seek nutritional support for exercise, and monitor their weight. These consumers are increasingly looking for these benefits in freshly baked goods made with flour as the primary ingredient.
• Gluten-Free: Demand for gluten-free products is also rising significantly. As a key component of their diet, consumers are more likely to seek out this option in bread compared to other less frequently consumed products.
• With Oats: As consumers increasingly associate the “gluten-free” label with health, the demand grows for alternative flours that are easy to use and popular among buyers. Oats are becoming a particularly favored ingredient—thanks to their healthy beta-glucan fibers, protein, vitamins, and mineral content, as well as their affordable price.
• With Seeds and Seed Flours: Seeds offer another alternative to traditional flour, providing not only a gluten-free option but also added texture and flavor.
• With Reduced Sugar: Although sugar was one of the first ingredients the food industry began reducing in response to the trend toward healthier living, bread has yet to fully follow suit. Globally, only a small percentage of baked goods carry a label indicating low, no, or reduced sugar.

Nevertheless, the market is moving to meet this demand while ensuring minimal impact on the flavor that consumers have come to know and expect in the final product.

As the above shows, consumers’ choice for healthier eating habits inevitably encourages us to be more creative and careful in our decisions—choices that always start with raw materials, recipes, and the intention to make a difference in the lives of our customers. A difference they will notice year after year.

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